Sugar, Spice, and Every Vice
by Loopy777
Summary: It's the first day of school for a new class of Fire Nation girls, including Ty Lee, Mai, and the Princess Azula herself. Naturally, drama, bloody warfare, and dark humor ensue. Featuring characters created by aka Arashi, Alabaster86, and Lavanya Six.
1. Sugar and Spice

_Author's Notes:_

_Ayaka was created by Alabaster86 for the stories "Equivalent Exchange" and "Miscalculation," and is used with permission. Alabaster86 has since left the fanfic community._

_Ju Lai was created by aka Arashi for the story "The Raven and the Wolf," and is used with permission. aka Arashi has since left the internet._

_Chin Tao was created by Lavanya Six for the story "Not As Hard As You," and is used with permission. Lavanya Six has since left the fandom._

_The Lesson: If I come to you asking to use one of your original characters, __**run**__._

_More seriously, my profuse thanks goes to the above authors for letting me play with the creations. Please check out their writings, as all three were very popular and you'll more than likely find something to enjoy in their archives._

* * *

**Part 1: Sugar and Spice**

The first day of every school term at the Royal Fire Pre-Academy for Girls was always such a wonderful experience for Instructor Daoshi. She got to meet a new group of bright young ladies who would grow under her care to be the future leaders of the Fire Nation. Discovering their budding personalities would make the hours of patient instruction fly by, and seeing their strengths and interests blossom in the classroom was the all the reward Daoshi wanted for her service.

And this year, the Princess Azula would be starting school, right in Daoshi's class!

What could be better?

It was fifteen minutes until class would begin, and the Pre-Academy's students were assembling in the courtyard outside. Alone in her classroom, Daoshi straightened her robes and hummed a little tune (the Fire Nation anthem, because it was the only music that wasn't at least mildly illegal, probably because it had no lyrics and you couldn't dance to it, even in clogs). She wanted to look her best for her students, to set an example of proud Ladyhood that they could take into their hearts to drive away images of the fictional assassins so popular these days. (Proper ladies, although expected to be proficient with a lethal weapon, did _not_ get blood on their robes.) Pleased with her appearance, she headed for the courtyard to pick her students up and chat a bit with any parents waiting until the last possible moment before separation from their babies. Stepping out into the sunlight, Daoshi found her class and several such parents- one of them in full Fire Navy armor, oddly- clustered near the Fire Nation sigil set into the ground of the courtyard. The symbol was formed out of a sea of fist-sized stones, all dyed red, filling in a pit shaped like the inspiring symbol of the Tri-Flame.

If it seemed odd that the sign of the Fire Nation was formed out of _stones_, it was because the observer didn't realize the symbolism of the art. As an educated person, Daoshi was well aware that dying the stones _red_ made them the divine property of the Fire Nation, as laid out in the holy writings of Fire Lord Sozin. It was the same principle that guided the assimilation of the colonies: paint it red, and it belongs to _us_.

As she neared the students and parents, Daoshi made a quick scan of the assembly, but found that none of them were wearing a Flame Crown in their hair. Oh well, Prince Ozai and Princess Ursa likely had other things to do. They were busy and important people, after all. Daoshi didn't actually know what they did, but she had always been taught that being Royalty was hard work, and she no more expected such teachings to be wrong than she did the lessons she herself imparted in the classroom. After all, the Fire Lord himself had approved that knowledge for public dissemination, and the Fire Lord was always right, even when his wisdom denied Daoshi the chance to see if Prince Ozai's pecks really were visible through eight layers of robes.

One of the parents- a light-eyed woman with brown hair tied into a swarm of braids- peeled away from the group and trotted over. "Instructor Daoshi! Oh, good morning, Instructor."

Daoshi gave a nod and put on a professional smile. The ones who knew your name before you introduced yourself were either contract killers or concerned parents, and both could be handled with properly applied politeness. "Good morning. Who might you be?"

"You can call me Lady Ying. My child is... oh dear, she's the one trying to stand on her head. _Ty Lee, what did Mommy tell you about being on your best behavior! That means standing politely and not licking that bug._ Sorry, Instructor. She's the type who needs frequent reminders. Of everything. I think I used a bit too much mistweed when that one was baking."

Daoshi hid her horror by tittering politely. "Is there something with which I can help you?"

Lady Ying gave a smile that was broad but not quite high enough to reach her eyes. "I'm glad you asked! Would you mind seating Ty Lee next to Princess Azula? I want the Princess to have a wonderful experience at the Pre-Academy, and my child may not have much of anything in her head, but she's a true darling. I'm sure you can see the wisdom in this?"

Daoshi may not have had Royalty in her classroom before, but she was well accustomed to this kind of request. "I'm sorry, my lady, but it is Pre-Academy policy to seat the children by size. I understand your loyalty and love for the Royal Family, but the school administration fears that some would try to turn the staff into tools for political games. I'm sure you understand."

"Oh, I _understand._ How much are we talking, here?" Lady Ying stared expectantly, but eventually realized what the expression on Daoshi's face meant. She quickly said, "That was a joke," and then giggled, winked, and sauntered off. She didn't even spare one last glance for her daughter.

The other parents noticed the exchange, and all of them suddenly lost their sunny dispositions. Daoshi had no desire to give the same denial over and over, or deal with some of the other _issues_ that sometimes came up in these kind of discussions, so she clapped her hands once and spoke up with her most authoritative tone.

"Thank you all for coming. I look forward to meeting each of you, and your daughters, but first I think I should discuss some school policies. Seating is determined by the size of the children; the shortest sit in front, and the tallest in back. Instructors are not allowed to accept 'gifts' from students or their families, even if they have no known association with classroom proceedings. Whenever we leave the Pre-Academy grounds, all Instructors are supplied with ex-Army bodyguards by the school for our personal safety. Any business transactions we enter into are approved by both the Fire Sages and the Magistracy, to avoid accidental conflicts of interest. We are no longer permitted to travel during the school semesters, so there is no chance of us suffering any inconvenience that would strand us on a deserted island for months at a time while an imposter steps into our lives to accidentally advance the cause of certain political power players in our classrooms. (Once was more than enough.) Now, are there any questions?"

Most of the parents slumped and began walking away. A few at least took the time to say goodbye to their daughters before taking their leave.

The only one left was the man in the Fire Navy armor. Behind a traditional topknot and the biggest pair of sideburns Daoshi had ever seen, his expression was one of profound smugness. He stepped forward with military precision. "A word, Instructor?"

Daoshi nodded. "I really should get the girls to the classroom, but if it's a reasonable request, then I can make the time, Captain... ?"

The man's expression grew into a full smirk. "Zhao. Captain Zhao. And it's not a request, just some paperwork." From his belt, Zhao produced a roll of documents, and held them out. "I just finalized the legal adoption of my new daughter, and could not complete the Pre-Academy's enrollment forms until I got a Magister's approval this morning." Daoshi went to take the papers, but Zhao suddenly used them to motion at one of the girls in line. She was taller than the rest, destined to sit in the very back of the classroom, and well-muscled. The girl didn't look up under the scrutiny, fiercely staring straight ahead from her position in line like a soldier on parade. Her clothes were crisp, and her topknot was tight. "I am now officially the guardian for... um... ah, yes... Ayaka."

The little girl in question didn't even react to her name.

Well, that was the type of thing usually seen with military families. Daoshi took the papers with a smile. "Oh, congratulations! I'm sure your new family will be very happy."

"Yes." Zhao looked down at Ayaka. She continued to stare into space, and he nodded with evident approval. "She'll be the best investment I ever made." Then he turned and left.

Investment?

Well, that was the type of thing usually seen with military families. Probably.

Left with just her new students, Daoshi put her smile back on and clapped her hands once for attention. "Good morning, my little dears. I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you ladie- oh. Oh dear. Young sir, I think you've come to the wrong school. The boys' school is on the other side of the city."

The child Daoshi had been addressing grimaced. "Thank you, ma'am, but no, ma'am, I'm not a boy, ma'am. My name is Chin Tao. Ma'am."

Daoshi looked a little closer. Chin Tao's uniform didn't have the stylish shoulder-flares that all the other girls were wearing, and she wore her belt low enough to flatten her skirt a little, making it look more like the tunics that the boys wore as their uniform. Even her hair was tied in a short ponytail, like young boys typically preferred to a more traditional topknot. Well, the shoulder-flares were an option part of the uniform, and Daoshi couldn't recall any regulations dictating either hair length or skirt diameter. She inclined her head and said, "My apologies, Chin Tao. Thank you for correcting me." The girl nodded and let her frown melt away, so Daoshi considered the matter settled. "Now, let's all go to the classroom, and I can learn all your names and assign you seats. Then we'll talk about what you'll be doing here at the Pre-Academy." Another girl, this one with lovely long hair that went down to her knees, politely raised a hand. Daoshi acknowledged her with a nod. "Yes? You have a question?"

The girl lowered her hand and bowed. "My name is Ju Lai and my hair is nicer than yours and my mommy said to give you this purse of gold and ask really nice to sit next to Princess Azula."

Daoshi felt a headache coming on, but she fought to keep a smile on her face. "Well, why don't you hold onto that money, and when you get home, tell your mother that I invited her to put that gold where the glory of Agni does not shine. Speaking of Princess Azula, is she here?"

None of the girls responded. Indeed, none of them was wearing a crown in her hair, and the ones with priggish expressions were displaying nothing more than the usual sense of superiority that came naturally to most natives of the Capital. Daoshi took a full look around to be sure, and sure enough, there were no fawning servants waiting just out of immediate view with hot towels or expensive wind-up toys or even a venibeef sandwich with mustard made of solid platinum.

Well, that was disappointing.

* * *

Ty Lee loved school!

There was a _teacher_ lady, and she was almost as pretty as Mommy! And instead of loud sisters, there were _new friends!_ And there was a _classroom_, filled with _desks_, and on the desks there was _paper!_ Ty Lee was given a desk in the _middle row_ of the classroom, and that was not so good because it made Ty Lee feel like she was kind of lost since she wasn't in the very front or the very back, but she did have a _window_ on her _left side_ (Ty Lee had been born knowing her right from her left; that was her story and she was sticking to it) and that was _wonderful_ because she could see the sun and sky and the fluffy clouds! Ty Lee was so excited that she started eating one of the sheets of paper on her desk, but she had only taken a few bites before the teacher stopped her, and that was okay because Teacher Lady said that eating paper could make you _sick_, and _no one_ had ever stopped Ty Lee from eating something that would make her sick before!

_Wow!_

Once everyone was kneeling at their desk, the Teacher Lady made some talk about rules and what school was for and how to be a good girl, and Ty Lee tried _really hard_ to listen, and she actually got really far into the teacher's speech ("Good morning" was a whole _two words!_) before she started noticing all the girls around here. That scary tall one, Ayaka, was kneeling at the desk right behind Ty Lee, and since she was scary Ty Lee decided to pretend she didn't exist because that was the best way to make scary things go away!

In front of Ty Lee were the two girls who had talked to Teacher Lady outside, which was exciting because Ty Lee was sure they wouldn't have been talking if they weren't really important to her life! The one who looked like a boy whose name was Chin Tao was paying attention to Teacher Lady, and Ty Lee realized that she should have been doing the same thing and tried her best (she caught the phrase "failures will be sent to the frontlines") but then she noticed the other girl Ju Lai curling her pretty hair around a calligraphy brush and Ty Lee thought that was fun and silly and looked around to see if she had a brush she could try it with!

Before she found her own brush, Ty Lee spotted the girl kneeling at the desk to her _right side_ (the opposite side of the window, which Ty Lee knew because she was really smart). The girl looked sad, and Ty Lee hated seeing people sad so she smiled as wide as possible at the girl and shouted, "I'm Ty Lee and I'll be your friend so you can be happy!"

The Teacher Lady stopped talking.

Then she looked _straight at Ty Lee_, and said, "Ty Lee, it's good to make friends, and it's lovely that you're such a caring individual, but you need to be quiet while I'm talking. Remember that rule?"

Ty Lee didn't, but Teacher Lady had called her an _individual_, and Ty Lee wasn't really sure what that was but it sounded _pink_, so she nodded and bowed low enough to almost smack her head on the desk.

Teacher Lady seemed happy, so Ty Lee was even happier than she already had been, and the girl next to Ty Lee wasn't frowning anymore (actually, she seemed kind of scared, so Ty Lee smiled at her so that she wouldn't be scared anymore), and the sun was shining and the clouds were fluffy and school was _wonderful!_

She got so excited that she started eating paper again.

* * *

It had taken Daoshi a few attempts to get through her introduction, but she had managed to keep the Ty Lee girl from eating a whole sheet of paper, so she considered it a good compromise. Daoshi ran through the attendance, calling out each name and checking it off as the corresponding girl responded. There was as a slight problem with the one named Mai- the girl sitting next to Ty Lee- who had been too timid to raise her hand and had said, "Here," in the quietest voice Daoshi had ever heard (or, in the first three cases, _not_ heard), but that was something on which they could work. Nothing brought a little girl out of her shell like a safe environment and gentle nudging, and even if that failed, there was always the flogging room.

Daoshi was all set to start the first lesson- a thrilling combination of identifying colors and the history of Azulon's bloody purge of the Water Tribes- when the sound of a massive gong being struck resonated through the classroom, and a parade suddenly filed in through the door.

First came a number of dancing girls who scattered the petals of rare panda-lilies on the floor and then capered off the sides of the classroom and fell into full kowtows. Then came a small squad of the Crimson Guard- the elite and uniquely armored Firebenders responsible for the safety of the Royal Family- who marched in with enough force to rattle the desks and then took positions at the corners of the room. At last, four servants bearing a miniature palanquin closed by silk curtains shuffled through the door, laid their burden down atop the flower petals, and kowtowed towards it. One of them lifted his head and cried, "Introducing the vision of the glory of the perfection that is Azula, _Princess of Fire!_" The dancing girls started chanting a reasonable rendition of the Fire Nation's anthem, and the Crimson Guard saluted with plumes of flame.

Then a little girl with a crown in her topknot emerged from behind the palanquin's curtains and gazed out over the classroom.

Daoshi considered herself the absolute master of her little domain, but she found herself falling to the floor in a bow at the sight of this little girl. Fortunately, that was because one of the Crimson Guard had snuck up behind her and actually pushed Daoshi into a kowtow, not because she had taken leave of her senses and started fawning excessively over one of her students. Once she recovered her balance and agency, Daoshi pushed herself up and said, "Your Highness, while I have nothing but the utmost respect for the Royal Family, it is against the rules to be late for class, never mind this disruption to the routine!"

Azula looked up with a heavy-lidded gaze. "Your concerns are noted, though it's really your fault. I would have been on time, but I politely waited for you to finish talking with Captain Zhao, and then when I was about to order my procession forward, you brought the class inside." The little princess began pacing slowly in front of Daoshi. "That ruined everything. You wouldn't have even been able to hear the gong! And sending a servant to order you back outside would have just been crass. So I had to reorganize my entrance to work for the hallway and classroom. After all, a Princess of the Fire Nation has to be properly announced." She gave a smile that was all blunt little baby teeth. "I'm sure you understand."

Daoshi felt that headache coming back again. "Well, uh, thank you, Princess. Please take the empty desk in the back row- yes, behind Mai- and we'll start our lessons." She waited for the Crimson Guard, the dancing girls, and servants with the palanquin to leave. Even the sight of one of the servants slipping on the flower petals and tipping the palanquin on his fellows didn't improve Daoshi's mood.

* * *

Teacher Lady was all Lemony Yellow and that was sad but Princess Azula was Glowing Red and she was the most reddest person Ty Lee had ever seen!

Ty Lee kept glancing back at Azula the whole time Teacher Lady was talking about colors (and something about Waterbender prisons) which was fine because Ty Lee already knew colors but also a little sad because colors were Ty Lee's most favorite thing ever. (Waterbender prisons were okay, too, even if Ty Lee didn't know what they were.) Azula was really interesting, and Ty Lee thought she was almost more like an adult than a kid the way she sat and listened and looked at everything. At one point Ju Lai up on the front row turned around and peaked around The Sad Girl to wave at Azula, and Ty Lee thought that was very nice of Ju Lai because no one else had said hello to the princess yet and that was bad, but then Azula waved a fist at Ju Lai and _fire_ popped out of it to curve over The Sad Girl and almost hit Ju Lai's _hair!_

Ty Lee thought that was kind of mean, but the way Ju Lai fell over and made squealy noises was funny and Ty Lee laughed with all the other girls. Well, all the other girls besides The Sad Girl. She just made a squeaky sound.

Ty Lee didn't know why she was sad, and that almost made Ty Lee sad, too.

After the Teacher Lady told Azula that good young ladies didn't light each other on fire outside of an Agni Kai, she announced that the class was going to paint on paper, and Ty Lee was really excited but Teacher Lady said they couldn't drink the ink and they were going to learn writing instead of just drawing. Ty Lee tried to do the writing right, but making all those lines cross in the right places was really hard, so instead she used her brush and ink to make hearts and lots of suns, because if sunny days were nice then lots of suns had to be even better. Then she drew The Sad Girl, but instead of drawing her sad, Ty Lee had the girl smiling a big smile.

Then it was story time, and Teacher Lady read a story about Prince General Iroh conquering Ba Sing Se and turning the whole Earth Kingdom into the colonies and then throwing a big party. Ty Lee liked the part about the party, but the stuff about burning the city and putting the heads of the enemies on sticks sounded weird to her. Heads didn't go on sticks, heads went on people.

After that was lunch.

Everyone ate at their desks, and Teacher Lady said she would be right back once she gave Ayaka's papers to The Office. As soon as she was gone, all the girls (except for Ty Lee and the sad girl) jumped up and went to go talk to the princess. Ty Lee would have liked to talk to Azula, too, but she didn't want to shove or get shoved, so she'd just wait until everyone else was done. Instead, she leaned over to the sad girl and put the drawing (with the hearts and the sunny suns) on her desk.

"Here," she said, "I made this so that you could be happy. Hearts and sunny days make me happy, so I painted some for you."

The sad girl just stayed kneeling, looking at the drawing and not smiling, for some reason. "Why?"

"Because I'm your friend, remember?"

The girl nodded. "Is that how people make friends?"

"I dunno." To demonstrate, Ty Lee shrugged. She liked shrugging. "That's how _I_ make friends. What's your name? Teacher Lady said but I forgot."

The sad girl turned to look at her. "Mai."

"Mei?"

"Mai."

"May?"

"No. Mai."

"Mae?"

"No, _Mai._" Mai breathed out through her mouth really heavy. "People do that every time I tell them my name."

"Sorry." To demonstrate, Ty Lee leaned over and hugged the other girl. Mai didn't hug her back, but she didn't shove Ty Lee, either, so that was okay. Then Ty Lee noticed that someone was looking at them.

It was Ayaka. She was standing in front of Mai's desk, looking down at the drawing. Her face was like she didn't know what a picture was, so Ty Lee said, "Hi! Do you like my drawing? Those are hearts, and these are suns, and that's Mai smiling and wearing floppy shoes! I think floppy shoes are funny. Do you?"

Ayaka didn't say anything.

She just grabbed the paper, crumpled it, and then ripped it in half in one quick motion.

The whole classroom went quiet. Ty Lee looked around and saw that all the girls were staring at her and Mai and Ayaka. Chin Tao the Boy-girl made a, "Hmmmmmm," sound and tapped her chin. Even Princess Azula was staring.

Ty Lee didn't understand, so she looked at Azula and said, "That was wrong! Tell her to say sorry! Please?"

Azula started smiling. But she didn't make Ayaka say sorry.

Then Teacher Lady came back, and Ty Lee was going to ask _her_ to make Ayaka say sorry, but before she could, Teacher Lady said that everyone had to hurry up and eat their lunches because they had math lessons and 'Lethal Arts To Be Employed In Defense of Our Person and Nation' class and then science lessons.

Ty Lee looked over at Mai, and the other girl was crying but without making noise or moving her face. She just looked down at the ripped drawing on her desk and her tears fell on the paper.

That made Ty Lee sad, too.

* * *

Over the course of the afternoon, Daoshi began to think that perhaps it would have been nicer not to have Princess Azula in her class. It wasn't that the princess herself was a problem, aside from the disruptive entrance and brief Firebending incident. On the contrary, Daoshi quickly realized that she was the smartest girl in the class; she seemed to have been given a head start on most of the lessons, and Azula's questions and way of speaking left no doubt that she could think things through, even if she was perhaps a little too forthcoming regarding Prince General Iroh's tragic addiction to Camellia.

No, the problem was with all the other girls.

Something had happened while Daoshi was out of the classroom, and while it wasn't her place to get involved in anything that happened outside of lessons- lest she stumble across a part of a plan to do something like discrediting the current War Minister so that someone's lazy but ingratiating cousin could be elevated to the post- she couldn't help but think it had set some kind of precedent for everyone's behavior over the rest of the afternoon. Ju Lai took it upon herself to try to tattle on anyone she didn't think was paying proper attention to the lesson, which meant that she wound up picking on Ty Lee most of the time. Daoshi had a soft spot for the really stupid ones, though, so she didn't punish Ty Lee and eventually told Ju Lai to mind her own business and stop interrupting.

Meanwhile, a bunch of the other girls suffered a sudden case of motivation, and previously demure personalities suddenly became desperate to look good by providing answers to all of Daoshi's questions, even when they hadn't been called upon. Aside from one amusing incident where several of the girls tried to answer a rhetorical question about the number of Spirits that could dance on the tip of a jian blade, it was quite wearying, and Daoshi finally just stopped asking questions completely.

Then, when she went to pick the girls up from 'Lethal Arts To Be Employed In Defense of Our Person and Nation' class, Daoshi found the sparring hall's Instructor leaning over Ju Lai, whose beautiful hair had somehow gotten caught between the segments of one of the spinning wooden dummies. Daoshi rushed over as quickly a she could without launching into an undignified run. "What happened to her?"

"Dunno," Instructor Bangbi grumbled in her customary manner. "I was- uh, _demonstrating_ for Princess Azula when I heard the girl start crying, and found this."

Ju Lai sniffled, and Daoshi shook her head. "Is this a... common mishap?"

Bangbi crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I've never seen anything like it before, but I guess it's possible. You know, in one of those imaginary, not real but still vaguely achievable ways?"

"_Theoretically?_"

"Yeah, that. Anyway, it might be possible, but then I looked close, and I have no idea how the hair got _knotted_ around the axle."

"Oh dear." Daoshi peered into between the log-things that made up the dummy. Each log had a number of branches sticking out that people were meant to smack and parry, and all the logs were spitted on a single metal rod that allowed them to spin freely. Sure enough, Ju Lai's hair was knotted between two of the logs, and from the looks of it, the ends were all tangled up into the mechanism. Daoshi couldn't imagine how they could unknot them. "I don't suppose this thing disassembles easily?"

Bangbi grunted. "I could break it apart, but the way it's tangled... probably better to just do it the easy way."

Daoshi sighed. "I'll go get a scissors, then."

Ju Lai immediately stopped her sobbing and burst out with a, "What?! You're going to cut my..."

Daoshi had nodded as sympathetically as she could, but then shifted her gaze to run over all the other girls. Most of them were watching passively. Ty Lee and Mai seemed upset, the former more than the latter. Princess Azula seemed amused by the whole thing, which turned Daoshi's stomach, but Bangbi said that she had been with the princess at the time of the incident.

Ayaka, however, had an expression on her face for the first time all day. It wasn't pleasure; it was the look Daoshi had seen on soldiers in the midst of training, a driven and focused expression colored by the satisfaction of danger and accomplishment.

It wasn't proof, of course, not even enough to get by with a small bribe to a judge. Daoshi would no doubt have problems if she took action against Ayaka and her adoptive father Captain Zhao made a fuss. But it was something to keep in mind, along with Azula's pleasure. Ju Lai went back to the classroom with hair that was half as short as it had begun the day, but she bore it stoically. Daoshi wished she hadn't noticed the girl looking for and receiving an approving nod from Azula.

The class managed to get through the last of their afternoon lessons with no extra fuss, antagonism, or covert bloodshed. (Not that covert bloodshed was a problem in some of the older classes, where they were mature enough to handle it without letting it disrupt the classroom. _Overt_ bloodshed was a different matter entirely, and usually resulted in a transfer to a military academy, a free spear, and a hearty letter of recommendation.) Daoshi dismissed the class, and amidst the usual scramble for the open skies outside, she spotted Chin Tao rushing over to speak with Ju Lai. Both girls then caught up with Ty Lee, said something to her, and then hurried after-

-Ayaka?

Daoshi wanted to investigate further, but the girls had left the classroom, and with the school day over they were no longer within her power. She had nothing more than a vague feeling to go on, so it was far too early to go to any of the girls' families about this.

But she would keep an eye out. She wanted to know what those girls were planning.

* * *

Ty Lee was making lots of friends! Chin Tao the Boy-girl asked her to come have a talk with some other students, and that was almost like a party, except there were no stupid sisters and mommy didn't disappear halfway through to smoke some of her mistweed! The poor Ju Lai girl who used to have long hair was coming too, and Ty Lee gave her a big smile as they trotted through the hallways and said, "Don't worry, your hair is still pretty even though Teacher Lady cut it lopsided!"

Ju Lai went all Muddy Red from her head to her feet like she was made of clay, and her voice was all growly when she finally replied. "I'll have my mother trim it up when I get home. Longer hair isn't a good thing for warriors, anyway."

Ty Lee had no idea what the other girl meant so she just said, "Okay!"

Ahead, Chin Tao called out, "There she is," and put on a short burst of speed. Ty Lee hurried after her and was all set to start the party when suddenly Ayaka was looming in her vision and being all Black and wrong. Ty Lee wanted to run away, but Chin Tao walked up to Ayaka and started talking, and then _Ju Lai_ came up, too, even though Ty Lee thought that something mean had happened with the two girls in the big class where they got to run and punch things.

It all made Ty Lee feel cold so she shut her eyes and started humming her favorite song which was the Fire Nation anthem because it was the only song she knew, but that didn't make her feel better at all. She opened her eyes again and saw that the other girls were all looking at her. "What?"

Chin Tao smiled and she seemed happy. "We want to play a game tomorrow morning, and you have to join us! It'll be fun."

That was better already! The Fire Nation song worked every time! "That sounds great! What kind of game what kind of game what kind of game? Hide and explode? Torture the Earth Kingdom prisoner of war? Tag?" Ty Lee went all Pink and hopped up and down a few times and clapped her hands.

Chin Tao reached out and patted Ty Lee's head like a pet, and it seemed nice but something about it made Ty Lee feel a little Not Pink. Chin Tao said, "A game that will make us all friends with Princess Azula. We need you to come to school early tomorrow. We'll meet in the courtyard, and then play before class starts."

Friends with Princess Azula?! That sounded great! Maybe the Princess would bring back the funny dancing ladies with the flowers! Those flowers looked kind of yummy and Ty Lee wanted to eat some. Ooh, and maybe if the game went well and everyone wound up as friends then Mai could play too, and then Princess Azula would be friends with Mai and then Mai could be happy! Ty Lee was going to say something about that but then she noticed that Chin Tao and Ju Lai had just finished talking about something else while Ayaka listened and Ty Lee thought maybe she had missed something important but she didn't want to seem stupid so she smiled and nodded when Chin Tao looked at her.

Tomorrow was going to be even better than today!

**TO BE CONCLUDED**


	2. Every Vice

**Part 2: Every Vice**

Chin Tao was supposed to go straight home from the Pre-Academy, but home appealed to her about as much mongoose-dragon liver (with fire onions) for dinner, so instead she dropped by the Boys' Pre-Academy, casually drifted into the crowds coming out of the school, and waited to see how long it would take them to realize there was a girl in their midst.

The stupid boys never caught on. Well, maybe they were stupid, or maybe Chin Tao was just that good at being a (pretty) boy.

When the amusement wore off and the boys started organizing a swordball game, she finally made her way home. There was no such thing as locked doors in the Capital, so she walked right through the front portal of her family's mansion. Supposedly, they used to have servants around to open doors and cook dinner, back when she had been a baby, but there were no servants now. When Mother was feeling coherent, she said that servants were too gossipy, that you couldn't trust them. But if that was the case, then why did the Royal Family have so many of them?

Mother herself was lounging around in the front parlor when Chin Tao arrived. Mother blinked like she couldn't focus her eyes, and then lit up with a smile and raised her bottle as if giving a toast. "That's right! You had... Pracadem... pre-cedmy... _school_ today... right?"

"Yes. We learned the color blue, Fire Lord Azulon's glorious campaign to destroy the Waterbender infestation, how to paint the characters for 'glorious' and 'infestation,' all about Prince General Iroh, some boring number stuff, something called the fill-ah-sofy of Fire, and how to crush a windpipe with one punch." Chin Tao hopped up on the divan across from Mother's lounge. "My favorite was the punching stuff."

Mother started nodding and didn't seem to be able to stop, until she took another gulp from her bottle. "That's... nice. And did you make friends with... whatsername... 'zula? The princess?"

Chin Tao couldn't help but smile. "Not yet, but she's really great! She does whatever she wants, and... and... and she's so _different_ from everyone! Just like me but in other ways! I have a plan to show her that I'm the smartest in the class and can make everyone think what I want like the boys at their academy, and then we can be friends and be different together!" She stopped, and realized what she had been saying. "We can both be different and still be different, right? It's okay if it's just two people?"

Mother took another pull at her bottle, but there was no sound of liquid sloshing around inside, and she frowned at it. "Yeah... sure... what you said." Mother tossed the bottle behind her lounge, with all the others, and laid her head down. "You... such a good girl... but you look like a boy... Just don't be a smartmouth... and you'll be fine..."

"Mother, are you taking a nap?"

"Yeah... Mother is napping... go play with your needles and don't make noise... g'night..."

Chin Tao slid off her divan and tugged the skirt of her uniform so that it hung a little straighter, making it not look like a skirt at all compared to what all the other girls had been wearing at school. Then she was off to her room, trotting past the dusty kitchens. She loved playing with her acupuncture needles, and Mother seemed like she really needed a nap. Perhaps father would come home before Chin Tao went to bed and bring dinner.

And maybe she could do some acupuncture on Ty Lee tomorrow, after the 'game.' Chin Tao didn't dislike the girl, and would be happy to help her feel better after ruthlessly using her to make powerful friends.

* * *

Ju Lai watched the scissors as they clipped through the hair hanging in front of her eyes. Mum was cutting it even shorter than before, but at least it was straight now. If only Ayaka wasn't such a-

"There," Mum said. "We can't rid ourselves of evidence of your defeat, but at least now you can maintain a minimum of pride in your appearance."

Ju Lai's stomach clenched at that, and she kept her focus on the scissors in Mum's hand. "Tomorrow will be better, Mum. Chin Tao had a good idea. _Ayaka_ will leave me alone _and_ we can _both_ be friends with _Azula_. It will work! She said that all we have to do is help her get rid of the dumbest girl in the class by tricking her into thinking we're going to play a game so that she comes early before the teacher and then we'll-"

Mum sighed, and slammed the scissors down on the vanity. Ju Lai kept her eyes on the clippers, but she could hear her mother pacing around the bedroom. "Always a follower, aren't you? Well, at least you're gathering around a good campfire, and the friendship of the Royal Family is worth a little humiliation."

Ju Lai flinched when Mum said "follower" and "humiliation." She hated words like that. She wanted to be the best, she wanted everyone to say how special she was, but every time she tried to show how great she was, things just always seemed to go wrong. Ju Lai continued to stare at the scissors, and imagined how nice it would be if they could cut people down as easily they could hair. Snip, snip, Ayaka would go away forever. Snip, snip, Chin Tao would look like a proper girl. Snip, snip, Princess Azula would run away crying.

Snip, snip.

A servant came in and announced that the dinner guests had arrived. Mum left to go greet General Someone, Admiral Who Knows, Minister So What, and their wives, leaving the scissors on the vanity. Ju Lai reached for them, but then let her hand fall away. There was a plan. Chin Tao's plan. Best to stick to that, and settle for a place at the campfire. If that didn't work, then Ju Lai would do her best to grow up into someone like Mum, someone who could snip away problems.

* * *

"This is our _moment_," Zhao intoned. "We need only reach out and grasp the opportunity!" To drive the point home, he reached out a hand and clutched his fingers together to form a haphazard fist. He was pleased with how graspy it looked, but he couldn't dawdle over that victory. "Many others would seek to take our rewards, but only we deserve the honor of the glory of victory! Only _we_ have shed the inhibitions that would make us weak, that would hold us back! Only _we_ have found the true path to victory, a path made not from bribes and sexy favors to petty bureaucrats, but from true companionship with those who have the divine right to rule!" Zhao turned and looked out over his audience.

Ayaka stood alone in the center of his office and stared back with scrunched eyes.

Zhao sighed. The girl was a delightful monster, the spawn of two of the military's most obsessive killers (he assumed they wound up mating through some kind of bizarre training accident) and had been raised to do nothing but hate and kill and terrify. Ayaka was, however, not the brightest flame on the candelabra. In fact, she was more like a little wick that had gotten covered in candle wax, something that only gave off heat and life if you applied excessive fire to it in the first place.

(Zhao couldn't help but privately admit that Admiral Jeong-Jeong would have disowned him for a metaphor that strained.)

Slowing down, Zhao pointed down at Ayaka. "It is your strength, your ability to fight, and your delight in pain that makes you a natural companion to Princess Azula. Prince Zuko is a weakling- he had to be pulled out of the Boys' Pre-Academy after that ridiculous incident last year- but Azula is a true heir to her father and grandfather! She is ruthless, and intelligent, and a Firebending prodigy! She will grow up quite well, I have no doubt." He looked down and found Ayaka staring back up at him with wide eyes. "Not like _that_. I mean she will become a perfect warlord. If her father doesn't get Prince Iroh out of the way first, then I have no doubt that she'll complete the job."

Ayaka nodded slowly.

Zhao cleared his throat and began again, pacing as he drew warmth from his own words. "This plan that your classmate came up with will showcase how suitable you are as a companion for Azula, and by extension, will demonstrate my intelligence in adopting you. Together, with the Royal Family's backing, we will be the Fire Nation's rising stars! It doesn't matter that someone else came up with the idea. Let this 'Chin Tao' reap the rewards of her cleverness, if she wishes. Only we can offer true strength, the kind of strength celebrated by Sozin himself!" Zhao look over at his adopted daughter, and found her staring back without enthusiasm. Of course. She had enthusiasm for only one thing, and there weren't any small animals around for her to crush in her little fingers. "And if you fail me," he added, leaning down until his nose was practically touching the girl's, "I will throw you back into the military camp so fast, the ground will shake with the force of your impact, and they will think you an Earthbender and kill you."

Ayaka nodded, completely nonplussed.

"Good." Zhao smiled and gave her an approving pat on the head. "Now, go brush your teeth and get in your jam-jams. I'll read you one of the reports about my military victories before bed."

* * *

Every night, Mai let Momma brush her hair one hundred times. It made Momma feel good, and sometimes- alone in Mai's room, sitting in front of the vanity and not really looking at each other- Mai found the strength to haltingly state her own thoughts and opinions.

Tonight, she decided to say, "School is scary."

She expected her mother to argue, but instead, Mai glanced at the mirror to see Momma's reflection nodding. "I know. What specifically frightened you, child?"

Mai thought back over the day, and had a tough time narrowing it all down. Classrooms were scary. Instructors and other new adults were scary. Ayaka was scary. Princess Azula was scary. But there was one thing that was more terrifying than all of them put together. "There's a nice girl named Ty Lee. I think some of the other girls are going to hurt her."

"Ah." Momma gave a little smile that didn't look at all happy to Mai. "You have an ambitious class, then. Yes, I know how that can be scary. There's the pressure to perform well, and to obey the Instructor without understanding all of her orders. And the other children bring their own pressures. The nice ones don't realize it, but they pressure you in their own way to be a good friend, to not disappoint them. And the ones who aren't nice- the ones who want to hurt your Ty Lee- they will seize any opportunity to make themselves look good for a fleeting moment, in the vague hope that it will somehow lead to a better life." Momma sighed. "Did you know that when I was growing up, my family had money problems? That my father was spending us broke?"

Mai's jaw dropped like she had just been told that the Fire Nation didn't have a divine mandate to rule the world. She knew that despite being an old bloodline, Momma's was not very powerful, but this was a new scandal. Only the tug of the brush through her hair reminded Mai that she was in the middle of a conversation.

Momma seemed to have gotten the idea. "Oh, yes. I try not to talk about it, but my family was close to ruin. The only things I had were ancient blood of great honor- which is no small thing- and of course my considerable womanly charms. I... er... _won the attention_ of your father, and now he's working in Fire Lord Azulon's Special Weapons Administration and Application department. Mm, just saying the name makes me feel good. _Fire Lord Azulon's Special Weapons Administration and Application department._ I have no idea what it actually is, but it sounds important." She giggled, and Mai resisted the urge to squirm. It was always weird when Momma got like this. "Anyway, together your father and I earned our place in the Capital and rose up in the world. We can continue to rise, through diligence and hard work. You have reaped the benefits of this, and it is your responsibility not to waste them. To uphold our family's honor."

Mai knew she was supposed to nod here, but the insistent tug of the brush took away her control. Bereft of any other option, she ventured, "Maybe I can do something to help Ty Lee?"

Momma frowned. "You're a good girl, Mai, and I know you won't disappoint me. Or your father, of course. Most other little girls are chatterboxes, but you are so well-behaved and quiet, like a good girl should be. Making friends, having Azula in your class: those are opportunities, but they are also _risks_. One would have to be smart and ambitious to make proper use of the situation, but a wrong step could bring dishonor on the family. And some families can handle less dishonor than others, you see?" Momma sighed, a long and deep exhalation that seemed to contain her entire spirit. "Just be careful, Mai. Survive."

Momma put the brush down, and Mai stood up from the vanity. The conversation hadn't made school any less scary, or told her what to do about Ty Lee, but she hadn't really expected it to. Momma wasn't very good at making Mai happy. "Can I read some of my adventure books before bed?"

"Yes, but just for half an hour, and you must be quiet, because your father is working in his study." Momma gave a graceful wave of her hand. "You are dismissed. Good night, child."

* * *

Ty Lee was trying to figure out why the world went upside down whenever she stood on her head when her mother sauntered into her room, followed by a bunches (Ty Lee still needed help with her counting) of the sisters. "Ty Lee, daughter, darling!"

"Hi, Mommy! Did you know you're upside down?"

Mommy giggled. "_You're_ the one who's upside down, silly. Did the Instructor sit you next to Princess Azula today?"

The gaggle of Upside-Down Sisters stared at Ty Lee (but she ignored them because they were all stupid) and said to Upside-Down Mommy, "Nooo, I sat next to the nice sad girl Mai and then Princess Azula was late but the ladies threw _flowers_ and it was so wow! Then Azula had to sit in the back because that's where the empty seats were and scary Ayaka sits back there, too."

Mommy rolled her eyes and Ty Lee thought that was really neat because eyes were usually straight-ahead and them going up and around was funny! Ty Lee laughed, but the sisters all looked at her like they didn't get the joke, but how couldn't they? It was _twirly eyes!_ Once Mommy was done she looked back to Ty Lee. "Do you know what you can do for me, dear?"

Ty Lee somersaulted into a proper sitting position and sang, "Bring you a rainbow? Rainbows are the prettiest things ever!"

Mommy giggled. "Oh, you dears are such dears. No, Mommy wants you to ask Azula if you can be her friend, even if it means going near the scary girl."

All the sisters ooh'd like Ty Lee was in trouble, but that's why they were stupid. To show them how stupid they were she hopped to her feet and clapped her hands. "I can _do_ that! Chin Tao talked to Ayaka and there's a game and they asked me to play and somehow we'll become friends with Azula and they must be so smart but everything will be happy!"

Mommy patted Ty Lee on the head. "Just try not to get yourself killed. Even if you can't get in good with the princess, I still need you. Every extra little girl is another chance to bind this family to Prince Zuko, at least."

Ty Lee was still trying to figure out what that meant when Mommy moved on, the sisters skipping along in her wake.

* * *

Daoshi made sure to get to her classroom early the next morning, walking the streets of the Capital before the sun had even risen above the walls of the Caldera. She had never really thought about it before, but being both at the western-most end of the Fire Nation islands and situated in the center of a benign volcano, the Capital was actually the last city in the country to see the light of the rising sun every morning.

How odd. Someone should do something about that, perhaps arrange for the sun to rise from the other direction when Sozin's Comet returned in the next decade.

She made her way into the Pre-Academy, and headed straight for her classroom. It always looked so different in the low light, not at all the cheery and industrious place it was supposed to be. Even the picture of Fire Lord Azulon, hanging in the front of the classroom, looked more like the scowling visage of a cranky old man than... well, a more inspiring scowling visage of a cranky old man. Perhaps if the picture didn't have him snarling behind clenched teeth?

Daoshi looked out over the empty desks, where little girls were meant to toil away until their pesky capacity for independent thought was completely suppressed; after all, wild imagination could make things so untidy when you were looking to yoke the entire world under a single ruler. Ideas led to things like art, and art led to things like dancing for fun, and once fun got into the mix, you never knew where it would take you. Among the possibilities, though, were vacation islands where people could strand you while they hijacked your identity for nefarious ends. That was _always_ annoying, never mind what would happen to the war effort if that kind of thing became popular.

Staring at the empty desks, Daoshi felt vaguely sad. So much work went into creating the perfect nation, most of it spent herding people who were only interested in their own gratification. Even the people of noble class, who were best poised to help the Fire Nation rise, were usually more interested in accumulating power for themselves for petty reasons. Daoshi tried her best, but sometimes she wondered why people were so awful. Couldn't they see what would happen if they lived solely for the good of the world, as expressed through the Purging Flame?

All Daoshi could do was teach, and get the lessons in as early as possible. And also send troublemakers down to the flogging room, but that was so common it was hardly worth mentioning.

* * *

Ty Lee looked around in wonder as she made her way to school. It was so sunny early in the early morning! It was sunny pretty much all the time on sunny days, but sunny early mornings looked sunny in a different way. There were new colors early in the morning, colors that were like those in a sunset but more pink. Since pink was the bestest color of them all, then sunrises must be the best kinds of sun! She skipped down the lanes of the Capital, waving at everyone she saw. Some even waved back!

There were servants carrying things around, and servants cleaning things up, and servants giving orders to other servants. So many servants! Where did they all come from? Did they come from farms, like cabbage? There were also some shirtless men and almost shirtless women coming back from the public Firebending grounds, and it made Ty Lee want to try going shirtless, too, because that seemed so much more fun than wearing a school uniform. Ty Lee's uniform was pink and that was the greatest thing ever, but except for the color it was just like everyone else's uniform. Ty Lee hated looking like everyone else! It reminded her of the sisters. She began squirming out of her dress right there in the street but then she remembered how nasty it was to do anything with her school-dress (armholes were _hard_) and decided to wait for Sozin's Day of Glorious Rest to try going shirtless. For some reason, there was no school on Sozin's Days, but that really confused Ty Lee because everyone said that Sozin was the greatest person who ever lived (even if none of his pictures had any pink in them) but school was great, too, so that just didn't make sense.

The Pre-Academy was just ahead, and it looked so weird without a big army of girls hanging around in the courtyard waiting for classes to begin. But it was too early for that, and Chin Tao had said to get there really early so that they could play their game, and Ty Lee wanted to play the game so much she started buzzing as she walked. She spotted three girls waiting in the courtyard all wearing the same uniform, and Ty Lee recognized Chin Tao and Ju Lai and Ayaka so she waved both her hands and ran over to them.

She almost tripped over the hole in the ground filled with red rocks and shaped like Fire but instead threw herself forward and jumped so that she made a spinning leap right over all the nasty sharp stones. "Ta da, rock garden acrobatics!" Ty Lee giggled.

The other three girls were looking at her with their eyes all wide open and funny so she waved again. "I'm ready to play our game now! What's the game what's the game _what's the game?!_"

Chin Tao looked at the other two girls, bowed, and stepped back. Ty Lee was going to ask what was going on when Ju Lai suddenly shoved her to the ground. It was scary and Ty Lee screeched and landed hard on her hands, hard enough to scrape skin and get her palms all ouchy.

That wasn't very nice! Ty Lee was going to tell Ju Lai that and demand a special apology with frosty cream on top when Ayaka raised a foot and kicked Ty Lee hard in the stomach.

Bwagh.

Ty Lee didn't feel like talking anymore. She held her stomach and tried to remember the last time she _hurt_ this much. It wasn't like a boo-boo, this was a heavy hurt that came from somewhere really dark in her stomach, and made her whole body feel achy. It seemed wrong for pain like that to _be._ It wasn't fair! People shouldn't get hurt like that! Ty Lee was a little sad at the world for having something like that in it.

Then Ty Lee remembered the two girls who had made this pain. That was sad, too, but Ty Lee had sisters so she was very smart about what to do when other kids tried to hurt her.

She threw herself to her feet and ran.

Ju Lai grabbed for her but Ty Lee did a little bob and twirled out of the other girl's reach and left her behind. Ayaka jumped out in Ty Lee's path and threw a punch, and Ty Lee skidded to a stop close enough to see the way the skin on the fist stretched like a trampoline over the knuckles. Ayaka tried more punches, and Ty Lee danced a boring kind of dance (Ty Lee's greatest secret was that she _danced_) that didn't involve _any_ shaking her backside but did have some funny ways of stepping that moved her around so that Ayaka's fists kept whiffing through the air. Whiff, whiff, whiff, try again!

Ty Lee spotted a flash of ugly, ugly green off to the side so she spun like a funny little top and Ju Lai went stumbling past her to where Ayaka was still all punchy.

One of Ayaka's fists crashed right into Ju Lai's chin and both girls fell away from each other. Other people getting hurt wasn't funny, but it was kind of silly how the two girls had been trying to hurt Ty Lee and wound up hurting each other. So she stuck out her tongue, said, "Ha ha!" and turned around to shake her rear at them before running away as fast as she could for home.

She tripped over Chin Tao's foot.

Ty Lee was on the ground _again, _hurting _again_, and this time her hands felt _wet _against the ground. She tried to get up so that she could _run_ but pain came- fists and shoes and punches and kicks- and this time it didn't stop long enough for her to get away. She looked up and tried to ask Ju Lai and Ayaka to stop please it would really mean a lot and she was sorry for laughing and trying to play in their game-

-but they didn't stop.

Ty Lee began crying. She sobbed and sprayed tears and gave up all hope of the world ever again being a happy place with no pain and ladies who sang and threw flowers.

"Leave!

"Her!

"Alone!"

The words swept through Ty Lee's sobbing like an acrobat through a circus-tent and stole everyone's attention. Ty Lee looked up and was so surprised she didn't know what to think. Chin Tao looked up and tilted her head like she was confused. Ju Lai looked up and pouted like someone had stolen her fire flakes. Ayaka looked up and didn't do much of anything before a red rock the size of a fist slammed into her stomach and doubled her over.

Mai was standing in the distance.

She was holding a red stone in each hand.

She was standing right in the middle of the Fire-shaped rock garden.

Ju Lai ran at her but Mai's hand moved so fast it looked like a blur in Ty Lee's vision. The rock that it had been holding just disappeared completely into the air until it popped up again like magic to smack into Ju Lai's knee hard enough to slice through her pants. Chin Tao moved and it took Ty Lee a second to realize that the other girl was trying to take cover behind her, but Mai's arms became little whirlwinds turned on their sides and stones started raining down so fast that Chin Tao just hunched where she was and raised her hands to cover her face. Ju Lai tried to move again but Mai gave a little twitch and Ty Lee couldn't even see _how_ another rock got shot right into Ju Lai's shoulder.

Then Ayaka was rushing at Mai.

Ty Lee cried out a warning of "Aaaaghlookitlookit_hit_her_hit_heraaaaaagh!" and Mai turned to start pitching at Ayaka. Ayaka's run slowed down as the red stones bounced off her arms and legs and chest but she still kept coming!

Ty Lee got so scared for Mai it hurt like a punch to the deep part of her stomach.

Ayaka got close to the rock garden and jumped at Mai-

-Ty Lee screamed-

-Ju Lai groaned-

-Chin Tao was crying-

-Mai raised a stone to throw-

-and Teacher Lady yelled, "_Everyone stop this RIGHT NOW unless you want a double-flogging!_"

Ty Lee swore that Ayaka somehow stopped in midair and floated straight down to her feet.

* * *

Daoshi stomped over to the girls and had to keep from screaming. Ty Lee, Ju Lai, and Chin Tao were all collapsed on the ground like the detritus of another attempt to crack Ba Sing Se. The latter two girls were covered in cuts and bruises that Daoshi could directly link to the stones in Mai's hands. Ayaka was standing, but she bore the same injuries. Mai herself seemed to be unharmed, attesting to the wisdom of her choice of weapon, but Ty Lee looked like someone had rolled her down a hill. The ditzy girl's dress was all mussed, the palms of her hands were scraped bloody, her hair had escaped its braid, her face was all bruised over, and she moved like she was elderly.

Daoshi had seen bar brawls that ended better, but then drunks didn't tend to be as mean as little children.

Daoshi chose to start with Mai. "Young lady, we do _not_ throw rocks. Put them down this instant or I will send you to the frontlines and tell them to make sure your death isn't _at all_ glorious." Two red stones dropped from little hands. Next, Daoshi turned to Ty Lee. "Did Mai throw anything at you? Even one stone?" Ty Lee's head shook hard enough to free more of her hair from its braid, and Daoshi nodded. "Good. Now, tell me what happened. I heard screams from the classroom, and I want to know what caused this."

Ju Lai hopped to her feet and pointed at Mai. "It was her! We were playing a game and she started throwing rocks at us!"

"Nuh uh!" Ty Lee glared at the other girl like a snake that had woken up to find itself in a bowl of noodles. "You all were being mean and hitting me and Mai saved me like a hero! I love her forever! You should get froggings!" Then the stupid girl looked up at Daoshi. "Do froggings taste good?"

Before Daoshi could say anything, Chin Tao rose shakily to her own feet and sniffled. "We were playing a game with Ty Lee and maybe it was a little rough but we weren't trying to hurt her. For reals! Mai must have gotten confused and thought we were hurting Ty Lee on purpose but she didn't have to throw rocks at us!"

Daoshi glanced at Ayaka, but the tall girl was just glaring at Mai like she was considering a renewal of their battle. Daoshi threw her own warning glare at Ayaka and said, "I will not be lied to! I want to know the truth and I want to know it now!"

"I can help with that."

Daoshi's eyes snapped to the source of the calm voice, and she beheld Princess Azula walking into the courtyard, smiling beatifically, with the sun rising behind her.

Daoshi had to admit, the kid knew how to make an entrance.

Azula walked up to the gathering and inspected the other girls like they were soldiers at a particularly disastrous review. "I saw the whole thing, but I didn't get involved because yesterday you told me that good girls don't light each other on fire unless it's an Agni Kai. I, of course, do everything that I'm told." She glanced over at the other girls. "I saw Chin Tao, Ju Lai, and Ayaka ambush Ty Lee and start beating her. Ty Lee tried to get away, never responding with violence, and did well before she was overcome by numbers. At that point, Mai came along, and demanded the surrender of the aggressors. She was then forced to engage them in battle. Her skill allowed her to combat all three without injuring Ty Lee, and she achieved victory conditions when she lasted long enough for you to arrive." Azula looked up at Daoshi and gave a little tilt of her head. "Is that what you wanted to know, Instructor, or did you require more analysis of the specific tactics involved?"

Daoshi looked the princess over. She seemed fairly calm about the whole thing, and Daoshi didn't miss that Azula had chosen to watch the incident and not seek help from an adult. On the other hand, she was _the princess_, and it was considered beneath the Royal Family to get involved in spats between noble houses, which this whole thing technically was. Her testimony was useful; not even Ju Lai was protesting or offering denials. And Daoshi knew how to pick her battles. She was an Instructor, after all, and the Great Teacher's Union War had nearly destroyed the Fire Nation while Avatar Roku was off training, until Sozin had ended the conflict and began teaching the efficiency of honorable peace. ("Honorable peace" being defined as repurposing your enemies for you own profit. History contained many such jewels of wisdom.)

"Thank you, princess, that is enough," she said with a bow. "Ju Lai, Chin Tao, and Ayaka: I will be escorting you to the flogging room. Then you will be getting extra assignments highlighting the chaos that comes when Children of Fire fight each other in dishonorable ways, and I shall be sending notes home to your parents, detailing the ways you have failed to live up to the Pre-Academy's standards. Mai, there should be a healer open for business down the street to the west; could you take Ty Lee to have her injuries treated? Tell them that I sent you; they have an agreement with the Pre-Academy."

Mai nodded, and Azula added, "I'll go with them! In case Mai needs help with Ty Lee. I'll also cover the cost, so that the Pre-Academy isn't troubled. It's only proper, since I failed to control my fellow students."

Well, better to grant the request before it became a Royal Command. Daoshi motioned her assent and then pushed the other girls towards the school so that they could begin their punishment, and she could begin overseeing their rehabilitation into productive future productive-members of the Fire Nation's great social machine.

It was Daoshi's part in that grand machine that made her life so rich.

That, and the chance to look out for nice girls like Mai and Ty Lee.

* * *

Ty Lee sucked on her Flame Candy on a Stick and hummed happily. The healers had given her rice wine for her pain, and wrapped bandages over all her cuts which put white stripes all over her pink uniform dress and made it look different from everyone else's uniforms. Then, because she had been a good girl and apologized for playing with the bone saw, they gave her a Flame Candy on a Stick and gave her a bed where she could sit and talk with Mai and Princess Azula while the healers waited to see if she had a Con-Cushion.

The world was so pink now!

While Ty Lee sucked her candy, the princess was talking to Mai.

"You enjoyed it, didn't you?"

Mai looked down at her shoes and Ty Lee thought they were okay shoes but far too black. Pink would be a better color. Without looking up, Mai said, "But Momma says I have to be a good girl, and good girls are quiet."

Princess Azula petted Mai's shiny hair. "For most people, yes. But you're different. You have something that has to be shared with the world. That makes you better than everyone else, so you don't have to worry about what they think." Azula smiled and added, "And you're my friend, now. So if I say you're a good girl, it doesn't matter what you do. Everyone will have to say you're a good girl, too."

Mai smiled, and Ty Lee smiled because she liked seeing Mai happy. Mai shouldn't be sad; she was the bestest friend ever and she could throw rocks better than an Earthbender!

Mai looked over at Ty Lee and said, "And what about her?"

Princess Azula reached out and patted Ty Lee on her hand. Ty Lee giggled and patted the princess's hand back, but she had healing ointment on her palms for the scrapes so she got Princess Azula's hands all messy, but Azula didn't get mad or anything. She just said, "Ty Lee's my friend, too, of course. Her charisma is significant, and the way she dodged those bullies shows she had some skills. And... I like her. She has a unique way of looking at the world."

Ty Lee nodded, popped her Flame Candy on a Stick out of her mouth, and shouted, "I'm pink and Mai is gray and you're red! We all go together!" Then she put the candy back and sucked happily.

Mai and Princess Azula stared at her.

Azula said, "See? She's special." Ty Lee was so happy at being called special that she started bouncing where she sat and tried to sing but then realized she still had her candy in her mouth. It was the bestest aftermath of a bloody fight ever! Ty Lee giggled again because that sounded so silly in her head, and she heard Mai giggling next to her and the other girl was flashing _pink_ and Ty Lee was so happy she giggled louder and bigger, and Azula started giggling, too.

They were three friends, sitting and giggling together, without any sisters or meanies around. It was everything Ty Lee ever wanted and more! She leaned over and gave Mai a sticky-candy kiss on the cheek. Then she turned to Azula and sticky-kissed her on the cheek, too, and screamed into the air, "We're going to be best friends forever!"

Yay!

* * *

In the dark, intimidating flogging room, Instructor Bangbi hefted her bamboo rod and turned to the three little girls who had been sent for disciplinary action. "Who's first?"

Chin Tao looked at Ju Lai. Ju Lai looked at Ayaka. Ayaka frowned, and said, "Can I have a 'frogging' instead?"

Instructor Bangbi then proceeded to interpret that as volunteering.

**END**


End file.
